Sounding mechanism for telegraph-offices.



T. R A W E T s C. Ih 6. ,4

SUUNDING MEGHANISIFR TELEGRAPH UFFICES.

(Applwgiu myd nm. 1s, 1902.)

(No model.)

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M @mi iviirEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. STEWART, OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ANDREV S. BURT, OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY.

SOUNDING MECHANISIVI FOR TELEGRAPH-OFFICES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 717,046, dated December 30, 1902.

Application iiled March 18. 1902. Serial No. 98,807. (No model.)

stations are rendered audible, so as to be in terpreted or read by the 'receiving operator located at such ofiices or stations, the objectsu of the invention being to provide a simple and efficient apparatus capable of application zo to the plants at present installed, including,

where necessary, the ordinary relay instruments and avoiding the necessity of employing local batteries and circuits such as are now usually employed for the amplification 2 5 of the signals transmitted over the line-wires.

In carrying the invention into practice compressed air is employed as the motive power for operating suitable sounding mechanism, the application or control of the compressed air being eected through the instrumentality of a suitable valve mechanism under the control of the line circuit-as, for instance,

through the ordinary relay now employed for controlling the local circuit in which theordinary sounder is located.

One of the main objects of the present improvement is to provide a mechanism which shall be capable of adaptation to conditions existing in any ordinary office or station plant and whereby the relays and Sounders found in said stations or plants may, where desired, be utilized or employed as at present, but without the necessity of employing local circuits. To the above ends the invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out particularly in the appended claims.

Referring'to the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a diagrammatic representation of two stations or offices with a single line connecting the saine. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section, with parts broken away and in elevation, of a relayinstrument with a soundercontrolling mechanism embodying the present improvements; and Fig. 3 is a section at right angles to Fig. 2, showing the sounder itself, together with its operating devices. Fig. 4 is a top plan View of the armature, 6o showing the manner of supporting the same from the slide-valve.

Like letters of reference in the several tigures indicate the same parts.

`Referring particularly to Fig. l, the letter A indicates a line-wire, and B B stations connected by said line-wire. At each station an ordinary relay-magnet C is provided, said magnet being included directly in the linecircuit, which circuit also preferably includes 7o the usual key or sounding instrumentality, such as indicated at D. In lieu of the usual local circuit, which is controlled by the relaymagnet C at each station, said magnet in accordance with the present invention controls a valve and the latter controls the admission of pressure from a suitable source toa motor for operating the sounder. Pneumatic controlling devices are indicated in Fig. l by Vthe letter E, pressure being supplied from a 8o main F, to which as many instruments as desired may be coupled, said main leading to a suitable pressure-tank or generating apparatus-such, for instance, as the tank G and pump Gr. 85

By reference to Figs. 2 and 3 it will be seen that the relay-magnet C is of usual construction and provided with the usual adjustments whereby it may be moved toward or from its armature H; but said armature H 9o instead of being connected with controlling lever or switch for a local circuit is now directly connected with a slide-valve I, working,r through an adjustable housing K, withV the upper end of which the pressure-main F communicates through a flexible pipe and coupling F. The housing K is in turn supported on an adjustable .cylinder L, preferablyy made adjustable by being threaded intoa base M and held in its adjusted position by a lockroo nut M. Thus by the adjustment ot' the cylinderL and housing K or one of them the armature I-I, mounted on the slide I, may be brought to-the proper level for coperationwith a relay-magnet kof any ordinary type, even though the relays found in the offices to be installed vary widely in construction or size. The slide I is a valve which controls the admission of pressure from the housing K into the cylinder L and from the latter to inder L, and when the ports i and t3 register pressure will be exhausted from the cylinder L to the atmosphere, and said ports are so arranged that when the armature H is in proximity to the poles of the relay-magnet pressure will be admitted to the cylinder L, this position being the normal position of the instruments with the line-circuit completed.

Working in the cylinder L is a piston O, preferably having a projection o on its lower side adapted to bear on a lever P, rigidly but adj ustably attached to a sounder arm or lever Q. This arm or lever Q forms a part of a sounder Q of ordinary construction, and therefore need not be specifically described. The adjustable connection between the lever P and the sounderlever Q is preferably formed by the post P', fastened in the lever Q and passing through the lever P, with set or lock nuts P2 above and below the lever P, whereby it may be rigidly secured in any desired position of adjustment and so as to adapt the structure for application to ordinary sounders of widely different types. The adjustment of the cylinder L further facilitates the application of the device to sounders of differing construction, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

The connection between the armature H and the slide l is preferably formed as an adjustable connection by passing the thread end of the slide I through the opening ordilnarily found at the center of the armature and mounting lock-nuts H on the opposite sides of the armature, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. The range of movement of the slide is preferably controlled by adjustable stops I', mounted directly on said slide and capable of adjustment thereon through the medium of screw-and-slot connections, as shown.

The slide I is adapted to be moved in opposition t0 the attraction of the relay-magnet C by the spring R, preferably adjustably connected with its post R by a screw R2 or other usual or convenient means for aecomplishing the same end.

The cylinder L, together with its base M' and the sounder Q', are usually mounted on an ordinary metallic base S, which latter is in turn carried by a Wooden base T, lagserews being employed for uniting the parts, and the relay is also preferably mounted on the base, as is customary in electrical equip ments of this character.

In operation the relay-magnet C normally holds the valve in the position-indicated in Fig. 2, and air-pressure supplied through the main is admitted by said valve to the cylinder L, depressing the piston O and holding the sounder arm or lever Q-depressed. Upon an interruption of the main-line circuit the relay-magnet' C releases the armature H, when the valve I under the inliuence of its spring R cuts off the air-pressure and opens the exhaust-ports?? and 113, permitting the pressure in the cylinder L to escape. and the sounder lever or arm to rise-under the iniiuence of its compression-spring U, thereby giving the customary reverse click of a sounding instrument. Upon the circuit being again established the piston is driven down by the air admitteduto the cylinder and the direct click or audible sound is given by the sounder, due to the fact that the sounder arm or lever is suddenly depressedbyfthe piston. which might occur between the piston and lever P, a leather, rawhide, or non-resonant insert V may be interposed between. these parts, as show-n in Fig. 3, thereby deadening any sound which might be occasioned by the contact at this point and insuring an audible signal corresponding to the audible signals emanating from an ordinary sounder.

From the foregoing it will be seen that an operator accustomed to the reading of signals of an ordinary sounder will be able to read the signals from the present sounder with his customary alacrity and the air-pressure may be made sufficient to give a very loud signal-in fact, much louder than can be obtained by thevuse of ordinary local batteries and magnets. Furthermore, in large offices or where a number of sounders arev to be installed the saving in the cost of the local batteries and maintenance of plant is materially lessened, particularly in those oflices where it is now the practice to employ pneumatic-despatch tubes requiring air-pressurecreating devices, which may be availed of for supplying air under pressure to operate the Sounders.

Having thus described my invention,what I trolling the said motor mechanism, a spring for moving said valve in one direction and an armature mounted directly on said valve 1n position to coperate with the relay-mag- In order to avoid any false sound IOO net for moving the valve in the opposite direction, substantially as described.

3. In a telegraphic-station plant, the combination with a relay-magnet, of a pneumatically-operated motor embodying a cylinder and vertically-adjustable Valve, an armature carried by said valve in position to cooperate with the relay-magnet and a sounder operated by said motor; substantially as described.

4. In a telegraphic-station plant, the combination with a relay-magnet and sounder, of a pneumatically-operated motor embodying a s1ide-valve controlled by the relay-magnet, adjustable stops for limiting the movement of said valve and connections between said motor and the sounder;substantially as described.

5. In a telegrapbic-station plant, the combination with a relay-magnet and a sounder, of a pneumatically-operated motor controlled by the relay-magnetand embodying a vertically-disposed cylinder, a piston Working in said cylinder with connections between said piston and sounder-arm and a valve controlling the admission and exhausting of pressure to and from said cylinder; substantially as described.

6. In a telegraphicstation plant, the combination with a relay-magnet and asounder, of a pneumatically-operated motor controlled by the relay-magnet and embodying a vertipiston and sounder-arm and a valve controlling the admission and exhausting of pressure To and from said cylinder; substantially as described.

7. In a telegraphic-station plant, the combination with a relay-magnet and sounder, of a pneumatically-operated sounder-motor embodying a valve controlled by the relay-magnet, a piston and a non-resonant material interposed between the piston and sounderarln; substantially as described.

8. In a telegraphic-station plant, the combination with the relay-magnet and sounder, of a pneumatically-operated motor for the sounder and controlled by the relay-magnet, said motor embodying a vertically-disposed cylinder containing an operating-piston, a housing superimposed on saidcylinder and detachably connected therewith, a slide-valve workin g through said housing for controlling the admission and exhausting of pressure to the cylinder and an armature for the relaymagnet connected with said Valve; substantially as described.

JOHN C. STEWART. 

